Electrical soldering iron



Feb. 25; 1947. c. o. BARsTAD ELECTRICAL SOLDERING IRON Filed Aug. 28, 1945 mvsmoa CLARENCE o. BARSTAD, Y 2

ATTORNEYS.

Patented Feb. 25, 1947 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE ELECTRICAL SOLDERING IRON Clarence O. Barstad, Minneapolis, Minn.

Application August 28, 1945, Serial No. 613,058

3 Claims.

This invention relates to electrical soldering irons and has for one of its objects to improve generally upon devices of this kind.

An important object of the invention is to produce a simple, compact and practical electrical soldering iron which is easily held and manipulated in one hand of the user and constructed and arranged for facilitating the manufacture of the same and at a minimum cost.

Another object is to provide for working adjustment of the device, including means for the feeding of a wire or strip or solder for a controlled melting of the solder and also having provision for the application and use of interchangeable solder delivering members to the device.

A further object is to provide for longitudinal adjustment of the body portions of the device.

A still further object is to provide an adjustable handle arranged and adapted to be set in different angular relations to the body portion of the device.

Other objects and advantages to be attained will hereinafter more fully appear in the following description.

In the accompanying drawings there is illustrated a practical but non-limiting embodiment of the invention, in which drawings:

Figure 1 is a general side elevation and partial sectional view of a complete device;

Figure 2 is a cross sectional View taken on or about the line 2-2 of Figure l;

Figures 3 to '7, inclusive, are fragmentary views illustrative of modifications of solder delivering members for use interchangeably on the device; and

Figure 8 is a cross section through a preferred form of heating element.

Referring now to the drawings in detail, the numeral I l) designates a handle member of the pistol-grip type. Extending forwardly from the upper portion of the handle member I!! is a tubular body element which, as shown, is of telescopic type, that is to say, it comprises a tubular` base member II hingedly attached at its inner end to the upper portion of the handle member I and has fitted slidably therein an extensible member I 2 which is also tubular. Carried by and projected forwardly from the extensible tubular member I2 is a heating element I3, and inwardly from the heating element I3 there is a. variable resistance coil I4. The resistance coil I4 is electrically connected at its outer end to the heating element I3 and at its inner end to the wires I5 of an insulated cord I6. The cord I6 is cartherefor within the handle member Id, as indicated at Il, and thence, as at I8, tothe resistance coil I 4. A conventional, longitudinally slidable, switch element I 9 is projected through registered longitudinal slideways in the outer tubular member Il and inner tubular member I2, the switch member I 9 being of a conventional character, as

ried through a suitable passageway provided is the resistance coil I4, so that by sliding the switch member I9 longitudinally with relation to the coil I4 the resistance of the coil is accordingly varied, and a continued movement of the member i9 in one direction also breaking the electrical circuit. The details of these just described parts of the device being conventional and obvious the same are not illustrated in the drawings.

Supported by releasable clip elements 2t, 2l, is a telescopic tubular element that is disposed in parallel relation to the aforesaid telescopic element, the clip 2B being carried by the part Il and the clip 2| by the part I2, said parallel telescopic element including the outer tubular member 22 and the inner tubular member 23 itted longitudinally slidable therein. The inner tubular member 23 is made to terminate normally adjacent the top of the handle member Il! while the outer end portion of the member 22 is turned downwardly and curvedly to produce a nozzle portion 2!! which is projected so as to overhang a solder delivery member 25 which is detachably secured about and to the heating element I3 and is held in place by any suitable securing means such as, for example, a set screw 25, as shown.

Tubular members 22 and 23 may have solid walls throughout the length thereof, but, as shown, said inner tubular member 23 may have longitudinal slots 2'! in diametrically opposite portions of its wall while the outer tubular member 22 may have registering longitudinal slots 2t in the diametrical side wall portions thereof. These slotted wall openings in the members 22 and 23 are provided for the purpose oi ventilation. and also to have a View of the interior of the members 22 and 23 to observe the passage of a wire or strip ci solder 2i) which is fed through the members 22 and 23 and projected through the nozzle portion 24 of the member 22 in the use of the device. The wire or strip of solder 2Q is supplied from a roll thereof contained within a holder SI which is rotatably mounted on the lower end portions 32 of angularly disposed bracket arms 33 whose inner end portions are fastened, as at 34, to the opposite sides of the lower end portion of the handle member IS. The handle member Il! is provided with a passageway 35 therethrough for the wire or strip of solder 2d, the strip or wire 29 being carried over a roller disc Sli which is tted rotatably in a circular opening 3l provided therefor in the upper portion of the handle member lli.

Suitable means is provided for engaging and feeding the wire or strip of solder 29 in the immediate region where it passes over the roller disc 36. As shown, there is an arcuate thumb piece 38 having a pair of radial legs 39 which straddle within the upper portion of the handle member it, said leg portions 3? having comparatively short longitudinal slots l@ therein, through which slots li@ the opposite end portions of the pivot shaft il of the roller disc 3b are projected and `on which shaft portions the leg members 3Q of the thumb piece 3S are both longitudinally movable as well as rotatable. A spring element l2 is provided for yieldably holding each of the leg members 39 in outwardly extended position on the pivot shaft di. By this provision, the user of the device may press his thumb against the thumb piece 38 and thereby cause the inner surface of the thumb piece 3d (which is lrnurled, corrugated or otherwise roughened) to engage the roundedly bent portion of the wire or strip of solder 2Q against the roller disc 3G, and with the thumb piece thus engaged with the wire or strip 29 the user may press his thumb to cause a rotary movement of the thumb piece and thus feed the wire or strip 29 in the direction to move its forward portion through the tubular members E3 Aand 22. By varying the rotative movement of the thumb piece 3B the may regulate the feed of the wire or strip of solder 29 to the degree desired.

As shown, a trigger element i3 is provided for manipulation by the foreiinger of the user to either assist the operation of the thumb piece 33 or to cause the feeding of the wire or strip 29 by the operation of the trigger element 133 only. The trigger element @3 is provided with a head portion ifi to be engaged by the linger of the user, and said head portion ill has a pair of lateral leg extensions t5 to straddle opposite interior parts of the handle member it, said leg members being provided with longitudinal slots iii so that said leg portions may slide longitudinally on a pair of supporting and guide studs lil.

The head portion dll of the finger piece d3 is depressible into a recess i8 provided therefor in the adjacent portion of the handle member I@ and the leg members slide in slideways de provided therefor in the handle member.

The working connection between the nger piece i3 and thumb piece 3S is effected through the intermediary of link members d which are pivotally attached, as at 5l, to the inner end portions of the respective leg members 3Q of the thumb piece 33, said link members 5t having elongated longitudinal slots adjacent their oppon site ends, as at 53, said slotted portions 53 engaging studs 5t provided therefor on the respective leg members 135 of the linger piece (i3. On adjacent face portions of the handle member lil, interiorly thereof, fulcrum studs 55 are provided for engagement by longitudinal edge portions of said link members eil and said edge portions lof the link members 5d having curved recesses 52 in the region where said link members 5d engage said studs By this link connection between the leg members te and the leg members 6.15, if the finger piece le is pressed and moved inwardly, the link members 5@ are rocked by their engagement with the studs 55, this movement of the link members being also longitudinally downward and thereby rocking the leg members 39 of the thumb piece 38 and pulling the same longitudinally inward on the pivot shaft 'lli of the roller disc 3d, this actuation of the leg members 3Q causing the thumb piece 35 to engage the portion of the wire or strip of solder 29 so as to move the wire or strip 2Q a step forward in the feeding thereof.

Obviously, While the dual provision for feeding the wire or strip 29 of solder is illustrated, that is to say, means for feeding the wire or strip 2Q is provided for either thumb or linger actuation or in both ways at the same time, an electrical soldering device of the character of the present invention may be provided with only one of the the member 25 is channeled or dished longitudinally so as to contain the molten solder resulting from the projection of the end Portion of the wire or strip Eil from the nozzle portion 2li of the tubular member 22 and into the receptacle portion El of the element 25, which element 25 is heated by the heating element i3. In the form shown in Figure l, the forward end portion of ne element Z5 is undercut diagonally or beveled, as at 58, and its tip portion is provided with a restricted outlet 59, and, inwardly adjacent said restricted outlet portion 5d, the element 25 is provided with lateral spouts In this modification, the molten solderI produced in the receptacle portion 5l may be discharged through either the restricted tip opening 59 or the lateral spout portions 6B.

ln the modication shown in Figure 3, the solder delivery element t is of the pointed tip type and in separate parts is provided with a longitudinal groove Gl in which groove the solder is melted and allowed to out of the tip portion of the groove.

ln Figure d, the element is covered at its forward end portion and provided at its discharge end with a restricted outlet t3, it being under stood, of course, Vthat the inner portion of the element 2b is uncovered at least sufliciently to receive the nozzle portion iid of the tubular member E2.

In Figure 5, there is sho-wn a further modification of the element 25, wherein the upper portion of the element is generally depressed or channeled, as at Sie, and its forward end portion is undercut curvedly, as at In this modiiication there is no provision for direct endwise delivery of the molten solder from the receptacle portion 'dl but there is provided a lateral cupped extension adjacent its end, said cupped portion et having a slightly notched outlet portion Gl' through which the molten solder is delivered sidewise from' the element 25.

In Figure 6, there a still further modification disposed in a substantially vertical position with the modified element 25 lowermost.

Yet another modication is illustrated in Fig-'- in this last named modiV ure 7 wherein the element 25 is generally similar to the modification illustrated in Figure 1 except that the beveled forward end portion 'H is rounded slightly instead of being beveled on a straight angular line as shown at 58 in Figure l and also instead oi having the lateral delivery notch 69 as in Figure l there is provided only the end discharge nipple 72 similar to the part 59 in Figure 1.

As a further means of attachment of the molten solder delivery element 25 to the device, in addition to the aforesaid set screw 26, a clip 'i3 may be provided as indicated in Figure 1 for detachably securing the rear end portion of the element 25 to the forward end portion of the tubular body member l2.

To enable the user of the device to grasp the handle member I i) more rmly the handle member may be provided with a plurality of curved recesses 'i6 along its inner edge portion just below the linger piece i3 for the reception of the users iingers below the foreiinger which is applied to the iinger piece 43 in its manipulation for the feeding of the wire or strip of solder 29.

Also, it is preferable to provide a spring tongue member 'l5 within the body oi the handle member I and have said spring tongue extend some distance into the passageway 35 so that the protruded end portion of the member l5 takes into the wire sufficiently to prevent return movement of the wire yet the member is positioned at Such an angle that the wire is readily fed through maiipulation of the thumb piece 38 and nnger piece From the foregoing it is evident that the device of the present invention is adaptable for many different soldering operations particularly due to the provision oi the interchangeable solder distributing elements '-25 and the adjustability of the tubular body portions of the device together with the handle pro-vision and arrangements for the convenient handling and manipulation of the device and the means for selectively feeding the wire or strip of solder from the supply source on the handle to the nozzle portion through which the wire or strip of solder is projected in the quantity desired into the melting portion of the element 25.

It is here noted that the heating element I3 (see Figure 8) is preferably formed semi-circular in cross section, that is to say, it may be semicircular, substantially as shown, and have a flattened top face i3 of substantial width and extending throughout the working length of the element. This flattened top face is to afford an extensive heating area for a maximum effect to quickly and thoroughly melt the solder as it is fed to the delivery member 25. As to the cross sectional form of the heating element, it is not to be limited exactly to that shown, as the same may be of a different body shape but the flattened maximum heating face I3 is to be retained in all forms. Obviously, for the accommodation of the heating element I3 therein, the longitudinal openings or sockets 56 of the solder delivery elements are to be of a complementary cross sectional form.

The hinged attachment of the handle member I0 may be eiected in any desirable or approved manner. As indicated in the drawings -(see more particularly Figure 2) the pivot shaft 4l is in the form of a bolt extended through the associated parts from side to side of the handle member iii, the bolt having a head 4l' at one end and a nut element 4i at its opposite end. The nut ele- Cil ment 4|, preferably in the form of a wing nut for easy manipulation, is provided for the ready loosening and tightening of the handle member l0 for angular adjustment oi the latter with relation to the body member of the device, the adjustment of the handle member l!! being through an angle of approximately 9() degrees so that the handle may be swung a slight distance forwardly from that shown in Figure 1, and also rearwardly so as to bring it substantially in longitudinal alinement with the body portion so that the device may be used like an ordinary straight handled soldering iron. Generally stated, the handle member is made in two half sections, divided along the medial Vertical line I0' as shown in Figure 2. Placed just inside of each handle section, in opposed relation to the intermediate parts, including those 36, 39 and 50, is a washer element Ill (see Figure 2). These washer elements le are suitably recessed on their inner faces to airord ample working clearance particularly of the movable parts 39 and 50, but otherwise they are engageable closely against the next adjoining, interposed, inner solid face portions of the body member of the device as well as the adjacent upper portions of the handle member sections, by which provision and arrangement it is obvious that the handle can be adjusted and tightened in its angular positions relative to the body member by merely manipulating the nut element 4|" on the through-bolt 4l, whereby the handle member i6 While irictionally held in its adjusted positions it is at the same time readily moved by reasonable force applied thereto, and yet there is no binding upon or interferences with the movable parts of the device.

While the structure illustrated in the drawings is a practical exemplication of the invention it is obvious that the same admits of considerable modification within the purview of the invention as deiined in the appended claims.y The invention, therefore, is not limited to the specific construction and arrangement Shown.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed is:

l. In an electrical soldering device of the character described, an elongated tubular body portion and a rigid pistol-grip type handle portion through which a strip of solder is passed in the use of the device, feeder means for the strip of solder, a thumb piece constructed and arranged for operation of the feeder means, said thumb piece being located at the rear upper portion of the handle member, and a nnger piece constructed and arranged with a linked lever connection with the thumb piece whereby the thumb piece and finger piece may be jointly manipulated in the feeding of the strip of solder or either the thumb piece or the nger piece manipulated individually for the feeding of the strip of solder.

2. An electrical soldering device as set forth in claim 1, wherein the feeder means includes a rotatable roller disc, the linger piece includes a pair oi radial arms straddling the roller disc and each having a longitudinal slot through which the shaft of the roller disc extends, a spring element normally urging the slotted arms of the finger piece outwardly so as to hold the finger piece yieldably in disengaged relation to the strip oi solder, the finger piece being mounted movably transversely of the handle member and the linked lever connection between the thumb piece and nger piece cooperating with a fulcrum stud whereby a movement of the ringer piece inwardly of the handle member causes a combined longi- Itudnally inward and rocking movement of the arms of the thumb piece. REFERENCES CTED 3. An electrical soldering device as set forth in The following references are of record in the claim 1, wherein the rigid pistol-grip type handle me of this patent:

ortio is hincfedl nttache to the bod ortion .'1, ith 'ictionabl hrldaing proivision in cngection UNITED STATES PATENTS therewith whereby the handle portion can be ad- Number Name Date justed in angularly set; working relation to the 1,893,093 Linville et al Nov. 15, 1929 body portion. 1,906,225 Dupau Apr. le, 1932 10 2,025,509 Hieber May 10, 1934 CLARENCE O. BARSTAD. 1,596,432 Henson Mar, 18, 1925 

